SANTA FE ― Tuesday, by a vote of 37-30, the New Mexico House of Representatives passed Senate Bill (SB) 76 to prohibit coyote killing contests statewide.

Having passed the New Mexico Senate by a vote of 22-17 last month, Senate Bill 76 will advance to the desk of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Animal Protection Voters (APV) applauds the New Mexico Legislature for passing SB 76, a culmination of work to draw attention to and outlaw coyote killing contests since APV first attended and documented a carcass check-in of a contest held in 1999 in southwestern New Mexico.

SANTA FE ―Glorieta Camps, The Nature Conservancy’s Rio Grande Water Fund and the Forest Stewards Guild plan to take advantage of favorable conditions, including moisture levels, air quality, wind direction, and weather forecasts to initiate a prescribed burn Friday, March 15 at Glorieta Camps, west of Pecos.

This burn will be implemented by the All Hands All Lands Burn Team (Burn Team), which is a fully qualified team designed to lead or support prescribed burns across a variety of land jurisdictions in the Water Fund landscapes of Northern New Mexico and

The National Weather Service forecasts today’s high near 37 with a 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after noon and a total daytime snow accumulation of around an inch possible. Tonight’s low around 20 with a 40 percent chance of snow possible. Courtesy/NWS.

Strong winds today topple two towering trees, estimated to be 85-100 feet tall, onto the home of Mark Schmitt at 4851 Trinity Dr., in Los Alamos. Schmitt breaks out his chain saw and gets busy slicing one of the trees into small pieces this afternoon in his driveway. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Scene of fallen trees today at the home of Mark Schmitt, 4851 Trinity Dr., in Los Alamos. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Scene of fallen trees today at the home of Mark Schmitt, 4851 Trinity Dr., in Los Alamos. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities reports the following updates on various power outages:

WESTERN AREA: As of 5:10 p.m. today, power is restored to the Western Area with the exception of Fairway, 44th and 45th street and a small section of Trinity Drive. Crews are removing trees to restore power to these remaining area. Estimated time to restore power to remaining areas is unknown at this time.

PONDEROSA ESTATES: As of 5:10 p.m. power is restored to Ponderosa Estates.

SYCAMORE: DPU has received reports that Sycamore area is without power. Crews are investigating.

Update: Electric linemen indicate that the Western Area should be restored by 5 p.m. today with the exception of 44th and 45th streets. Power will be restored to 44th and 45th streets once crews are able to clear trees from that area.

The Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities is reporting a power outage that is affecting all of the Western Area.

The outage began at around 2:30 p.m. and electric linemen have responded.

The estimated time as to when power will be restored is unknown at the moment.

The Pajarito Mountain Freeride Team poses with other competitors from the Southwest Freeride Series at the 2018 USASA National Championships. Courtesy/Angele Hill

By Angele Hill

Los Alamos

Members of the Pajarito Mountain Freeride Team are headed to Copper Mountain in Summit County, Colo., at the end of March, to compete at the 30th United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) National Championships.

Team members, who range in age from 8-years old to young adults, competed this winter in various snowboard and freeki events throughout the Southwest.

On the Job at the Animal Clinic of Los Alamos is Morgan Osborn, CVT, performing a Laser Therapy treatment on Silly Millie. Laser Therapy has been successful in treating post-surgical pain and many acute and chronic conditions. For more information, call 505.662.6622. #worklosalamos #wherediscoveriesaremade. Photo by Jenn Bartram/ladailypost.com

The Legislature has moved to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's desk a controversial bill designed to dramatically increase the amount of renewable energy used to produce electricity in New Mexico while also helping the Public Service Company of New Mexico recoup its investments in the coal-burning San Juan Generating Station near Farmington.

Following a three-hour debate Tuesday, the House passed Senate Bill 489 by a margin of 43-22. It was a mostly party-line vote, with almost all Democrats in favor of the bill

Due to an extremely high volume of downed trees that continue to fall and pose a severe public safety risk as a result of today’s high winds event, LAPD will continue to keep N.M. 4 CLOSED westbound from West Jemez Road (at the LANL “back gate”) until further notice.

Access eastbound on N.M. 4 at West Jemez Road at the back gate remains open to Bandelier and White Rock.

LAPD successfully extracted several motorists on N.M. 4 earlier today when multiple tree-fall events occurred, clearing a path to trapped cars that were traveling on the highway.

Join the Bradbury Science Museum and the Los Alamos Creative District for Science On Tap at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 18 at UnQuarked Wine Room.

Curious about the rapidly evolving field of bioengineering? Want to learn more about the ATHENA project, biosecurity, or what it takes to be a bioengineer? Jennifer Foster Harris of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Biosecurity and Public Health Group will discuss the extraordinary research happening at LANL in the field of bioengineering.

The National Association of Realtors® has announced that Carrie Montoya-Pegg, a Realtor® from Los Alamos, has become a Sterling R investor in the Realtors® Political Action Committee.

RPAC is a national bipartisan grassroots-based political advocacy organization that works to protect the real estate industry and the dream of homeownership for Los Alamos residents and across the country.

Montoya-Pegg has supported RPAC for six years and has been a member of the National Association of Realtors® since 2013.

During the tour of Build With Robots at Albuquerque’s FUSE Makerspace on Manufacturing Day 2018. Photo by Jane Phillips

By CLAUDIA INFANTE,

Special Projects Coordinator

New Mexico MEP

The way they see it at Albuquerque’s Build With Robots LLC (BWR), automation and human labor can exist side by side, even in small and medium-sized businesses, without the dystopian consequences imagined by many futurists and science fiction writers.

The New Mexico company works with manufacturers and other businesses to enhance their productivity and competitive advantage by incorporating

AI is a transformative technology with implications spanning a number of fields including transportation, health care, agriculture, manufacturing and national security. The AI Caucus will help connect members and staff with AI experts in private industry, academia and the executive branch.

“I am proud to announce the formation of the bipartisan AI Caucus in the Senate with Sen.

A key Senate committee unveiled 123 different changes Monday to a $7 billion state budget approved by the House of Representatives, tweaking proposed raises for school teachers, funding for a marquee economic development program and plans to bring back soccer at the University of New Mexico.

The budget would mark an 11 percent increase over the current year's spending plan as New Mexico enjoys a windfall of tax revenue from an oil and gas boom and as the new Democratic governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, sets out an agenda that includes big